Radiators in rented homes: a landlord's guide

Updated 6 November 2026 · By the Radiator Installation team

Short answer: Landlords must keep the heating in a rented home in good working order, and inadequate heating can count as a hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System in England. Replacing leaking, rusted or undersized radiators between tenancies, fitting TRVs and keeping the system protected with inhibitor reduces call-outs, helps prevent damp and mould, and can support a better energy rating.

Radiators in rented homes: a landlord's guide

Your legal duties

In England, landlords of most residential tenancies are responsible for keeping the installations for space heating and water heating in repair and proper working order, under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Excess cold is one of the hazards assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, which councils use to judge whether a home is safe. A home where rooms cannot be heated properly can also contribute to condensation, damp and mould, which landlords are expected to address promptly.

Radiators themselves do not need a certificate. The annual gas safety check covers gas appliances and flues, not the radiators. Wales and Scotland have their own rules on fitness and repairing standards, but the principle is the same: heating must work and be adequate for the home.

When a tenant reports a heating fault, respond promptly and keep a record of the report, the visit and the fix. A broken radiator in winter can quickly become a complaint to the council, and a clear record shows the issue was taken seriously. If a radiator cannot be fixed straight away, providing temporary heaters while parts are sourced is a sensible step.

Radiator checks between tenancies

Run the heating and check every radiator heats evenly
Look for rust, weeping valves and damp patches on radiator bodies
Make sure TRV heads are present and turn freely
Check the boiler pressure on sealed systems and note the normal reading
Bleed any radiators that are cold at the top
Check radiators are big enough for each room, especially in extended or converted rooms
Record valve and lockshield settings so they can be reset after decorating

Why radiators matter for damp and mould

Cold rooms are the main driver of condensation. When one bedroom has an undersized or broken radiator, tenants often keep the door shut and the room cold, and moisture condenses on the coldest walls and windows. Fixing or upsizing that radiator, alongside ventilation, is often cheaper than repeated mould treatment and redecoration, and it removes a common cause of disputes.

Pay particular attention to rooms with more than one outside wall, rooms over garages or unheated spaces, and converted lofts. These lose heat fastest and are where mould complaints most often start. A radiator that was adequate when the property was last refurbished may no longer be enough if the room has since been altered or the original windows have aged.

Energy ratings and controls

An Energy Performance Certificate looks at the heating system and its controls. Room-by-room temperature control, typically TRVs alongside a programmer and room thermostat, is one of the factors assessed. In England, when a boiler is replaced in an existing home, room-by-room controls such as TRVs are required under current building regulations, so it makes sense to fit them on any radiator being replaced.

Reducing call-outs

Common call-out	Prevention
Radiator cold at the top	Bleed during void periods and show tenants how
Boiler losing pressure	Fix weeping valves, explain the filling loop
Cold radiators from sludge	Keep inhibitor topped up and fit a magnetic filter
TRV stuck off after summer	Leave TRVs on a high setting when heating is off
Leaking old radiator	Replace corroded radiators before a new tenancy starts

Planning the work

Void periods are the easiest time to replace radiators, as rooms can be cleared and the heating can be off without affecting anyone. If the property is occupied, give tenants proper notice, agree access times in writing and avoid cold weather where possible. Replacing several radiators in one visit keeps the cost per radiator down because the system only needs to be drained, refilled and balanced once.

Across a portfolio, it pays to standardise. Using the same radiator range, valve type and TRV heads across properties makes replacements quicker, spare TRV heads interchangeable and tenant instructions simpler. Keep a short heating record for each property listing the boiler type, normal system pressure, radiator sizes and the date inhibitor was last checked.

Showing tenants how to use the heating

Many call-outs come from tenants who are unsure how the system works. A one-page guide left in the property, or a short walk-through at check-in, reduces them noticeably.

Where the boiler pressure gauge is and what reading is normal
How to top up pressure with the filling loop, if you are happy for tenants to do so
How to bleed a radiator safely
What the numbers on the TRV heads mean, and that 3 is around 20°C on many valves
Not to cover radiators with furniture or drying laundry for long periods
Who to call and how quickly to report a leak or a cold radiator